Punctuation

Here are some common punctuation problems and lessons from Mechanically Inclined (p. 143-157):

__**Problem: Quotation Marks being misused, students not closing quotes or misplacing them**__.
 * __Lesson: Tagging dialogue with action__** - Teacher chooses quotes that contains dialogue between two characters. The key to this is that after the quote the author includes an action (or descriptor) that the speaker performs after they finish speaking. For example:

"No, I was never there," I said **angrily as I turned to sit down.** "I miss him so much," Jane **wistfully replied.**

The students will take note that the speaker is performing and action after the quote then come up with sentences of their own using quotation marks properly.

__**Problem: Overuse of exclamation points**__
 * __Lesson: Exclamation Degradation__** - The teacher asks if there are times when a student should write more than one exclamation point. Teacher then writes sentence on the board progressively adding exclamation points. The teacher will ask if it is necessary to include all of the exclamation points. The teacher will then ask the students to go over a work that was previously read in class and underline the exclamation points. The teacher will then point out that multiple exclamation points are not necessary to get a point across.


 * __Problem: Students misusing or do not understand the purpose of the semicolon__**
 * __Lesson: The Lone Separator__ - ** Students are divided into groups of 2-3 and each are given strips of paper that have sentences that include semicolons in them. Each group is to come up with an explanation of what the semicolon means. Each group will be encouraged to think about the semicolon's purpose in the sentence. After a little brainstorming, the teacher will read about the semicolon from Strunk and White's // Elements of Style // . The students will refer back to their readings and evaluate sentences with semicolons.

__** Problem: Students are unsure of where to use the colon or overuse the colon **__ __**Lesson: The Drum Roll of Punctuation**__ - Teacher will open up with a sentence that uses colons. Teacher will ask the students what they thought of the use of the punctuation in the sentences. Teacher will then address the colon and ask students what they think of the colon. Teacher will then explain to the students that they should associate the colon with a "drum roll".

The teacher will read another sentence containing colons and this time after discussing what the colon does, the teacher will play "Anticipation" by Carly Simon and announce that it is the official song of the colon. Students will then be encouraged to write their own sentences with the colon in it.

__**Online Resources**__

[|Purdue OWL - Punctuation Resource] OWL is a super-useful resource that not only covers punctuation, but it covers citation and various other writing techniques.

[|University of Ottowa - HyperGrammar] UofO has a quick and dirty explanation of the the use of the various punctuation marks one might use in writing.

[|Unnecessary Quotation Marks] This blog pokes fun at writing that of course, uses unnecessary quotation marks.

Referenced (and thanks to)

Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically // Inclined. // Portland, ME: Stenhouse.